{"id":33554,"date":"2022-07-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=33554"},"modified":"2022-07-21T14:09:35","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T14:09:35","slug":"inside-the-sky-at-night-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/2022\/07\/20\/inside-the-sky-at-night-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Sky at Night"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Sky at Night <\/em>TV show, past, present and future<\/p>\n\n

Inside the Sky at Night<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n

On the July episode of The <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night, <\/em>Marina <\/strong>Hui <\/strong>takes the reigns as director for the first time, transforming the show into \u2018The Sky at Day\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Marina Hui<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Marina on location for a Sky at Night special about the daylight astronomy you can try when nighttime observations are derailed by the weather<\/p>\n\n

Within the world of television, The Sky at Night\u2019s <\/em>audience is particularly special. When I joined the team as the assistant producer this year, I had never worked on a series where the viewers were so passionate, engaged and grateful for the programme that was created. I quickly discovered that the show was an old friend to many and I wanted to treat the audience in kind. <\/p>\n\n

As such, I aimed to fill the programme with what our audience wants \u2013 the night sky. However, therein lay a problem. Aligning the celestial calendar, our production schedule and the weather created an \u2018all of your eggs in one basket\u2019 scenario. Should the British weather strike, we often risked coming away from a shoot with no show at all! This is the reason why The <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night <\/em>is not always as full of the night sky as we would wish. <\/p>\n\n

I realised that the weather is just as much an obstacle for our production as it is for our stargazing audience. So this month when I was given the chance to fill the shoes of the show\u2019s director, I decided to take advantage of the long summer days and make an episode filled with observations and activities that can be done in daytime, for those times when the forecast is looking a little unfriendly at night. And so, the special \u2018The Sky at Day\u2019 episode was born. <\/p>\n\n

Passing passion on to the public <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

This year, as well as entertaining our audience, we\u2019ve also been looking to feature them. We wanted to shine a spotlight on those who have dedicated their free time to observing and photographing the night sky. For \u2018The Sky at Day\u2019 episode, I chose to tell the story of Simon, an amateur astronomer from Bath who has been hosting \u2018sidewalk solar observation\u2019 sessions. I felt it admirable that he chose to spend the sunniest weekends of the year lugging telescopes to the park so that members of the public could catch an otherworldly glimpse of our very own star.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

On the day of filming, it was clear that passersby were blown away by being able to look safely at the Sun, and that they would be thinking about the Sun\u2019s spots and prominences for the rest of the day. <\/p>\n\n

However, it wasn\u2019t until the next day, when I climbed to the top of Bath Abbey\u2019s tower to film a sunrise, that I understood the impact of individuals like Simon. As we clambered up all 212 steps, my guide Francesca told me that they had recently hosted an outreach event with Simon and Bath Astronomical Society, and that what she had learnt from Simon had made her \u201cobsessed with the night sky\u201d. <\/p>\n\n

I feel very lucky as a filmmaker not only to be a part of one of the longest-running series in the world, but to be in a position to champion people who make it their mission to share the wonders of the Universe with others. I hope \u2018The Sky at Day\u2019 does an old friend justice, and that The Sky at Night <\/em>continues to make new friends and spark new obsessions. <\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

Looking back: The Sky at Night<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

21 August 1961 <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Cloud cover ruined the best-laid plans for the 50th anniversary <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

To commemorate the 50th episode of The <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night, <\/em>in August 1961 the show decided to broadcast something never seen on television before: live images of Saturn and its rings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrick Moore travelled to Brighton, where the crew mounted a television camera on a 24-inch telescope constructed by local astronomer George Hole.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any astronomer can probably guess what happened next. Just as the live broadcast was due to start, the clouds rolled in. \u201cThis, of course, is one of the hazards of astronomy,\u201d said Patrick. \u201cThe radio astronomers are luckier than us, they don\u2019t have to bother about this kind of thing.\u201d Planning for bad weather, there was a second camera on the 36-inch telescope at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh. Halfway through the show, Patrick excitedly announced it had managed to get a view of Jupiter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrick and George began happily pointing out the planet\u2019s clear bands, but it was in vain. All viewers at home could see was an almost black screen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in Brighton, it looked like a break in the clouds would at least allow a view of Vega. Patrick hopped around the scope, avoiding the metres-long tube as it swung into position. But as Hole got the star on the cross wires, it was gone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow absolutely typical. And there\u2019s nothing we can do about it,\u201d said Patrick, letting out a good-humoured chuckle at the farce. It\u2019s hardly surprising that directors like Marina are still hesitant to trust the British weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can watch clips from the episode here: bit.ly\/SaNEp50<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

The James Webb Roadtrip <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

It\u2019s the moment we\u2019ve all been waiting for: the James Webb Space Telescope finally unveiling its first observations. Chris and Maggie meet the team getting their hands on JWST data and explore the tantalising subjects it will focus on in its first year, from dying stars to exoplanets. Take a front row seat as scientists race to untangle the mysteries of our Universe.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Four, 15 <\/strong>August, <\/strong>10pm (first repeat Four, 18 <\/strong>August, <\/strong>time tbc) <\/p>\n\n

Check www.bbc.co.uk\/skyatnight<\/a> for more up-to-date information <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Astronomers are eagerly awaiting the first images and data from the JWST <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Marina Hui is the assistant producer for The Sky at Night<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Photos: MARINA HUI, BBC, NASA GSFC\/CIL\/ADRIANA MANRIQUE GUTIERREZ, ILLUSTRATION<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Sky at Night TV show, past, present and future <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":33551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"18","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"18","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_18-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_18-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"August-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"August-2022","purple_external_id":"August-2022-18-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"August-2022-18-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000086555||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000086555||","purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.207","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.207","purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.207","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.207","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"075fab74-0a21-4201-866a-899d6c41c40c","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[14],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/2f04c11d-c344-467c-82dc-3d7eccef51c6.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/2f04c11d-c344-467c-82dc-3d7eccef51c6.jpg",1239,1498,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/2f04c11d-c344-467c-82dc-3d7eccef51c6-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/2f04c11d-c344-467c-82dc-3d7eccef51c6-248x300.jpg",248,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/2f04c11d-c344-467c-82dc-3d7eccef51c6-768x929.jpg",768,929,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/2f04c11d-c344-467c-82dc-3d7eccef51c6-847x1024.jpg",800,967,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/2f04c11d-c344-467c-82dc-3d7eccef51c6.jpg",1239,1498,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/2f04c11d-c344-467c-82dc-3d7eccef51c6.jpg",1239,1498,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Sky at Night TV show, past, present and future","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33554"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33554"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34306,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33554\/revisions\/34306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}